The invention concerns a manoeuvring device of the type described in the introduction to patent claim 1, for boats and other propeller-driven floating structures.
A manoeuvring device of this kind, the Kitchen rudder has been known since the 1920's. The Kitchen rudder has been burdened with substantial inconvenience making it unsuitable for practical use. It leads, for example, to turbulence developing between the plates, reducing the reversing effect when these are closed. In addition, the Kitchen rudder has had imprecise sideways manoeuvring effect.
Because of this, propeller speed, propeller pitch and side propellers are still commonly used manoeuvring aids, in addition to traditional rudders. This calls for expensive basic equipment and also demands extensive servicing and leads to unnecessarily high risk of failure.